Transfer Applicants

Transfer applicants must apply through the Pepperdine Transfer Application, which asks questions about the applicant's background, education history, and transfer goals. Both the application and the $70 application fee must be successfully submitted by the deadline.  You will receive a final confirmation email from the Seaver College Office of Admission within 24 hours of our office receiving your application submission. 

Important: Please note that the Common Application is only available to first-year applicants and transfer applicants must use the Pepperdine Transfer Application.

• Include your full name and birthday on all documents you submit. This will assist in the accurate and timely processing of your application file.
• All additional materials must be submitted or postmarked by the application deadline.
• We strongly recommend that you submit as many materials in electronic format as possible as this will expedite processing of your application file.

Monitor your application to-do lists via the Pepperdine Applicant Portal to verify that items have been received by the Admission Office. There will be a delay between submission of an item and reflection in your Applicant Portal to-do list. Do not send multiple copies of the same item. This will cause delay of processing your file.

Veteran Applicants

In order to streamline the financial aid and Yellow Ribbon Program processes, we recommend you submit your DD-214 forms as soon as possible. These forms can be sent to:

Attn: Sara Turki
Office of the Registrar
Pepperdine University
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90263-7999

For questions concerning the submission of your DD-214 forms or the Yellow Ribbon Program, please contact Sara Turki or Randi Redman. 

Pepperdine will accept up to 64 units of military/veteran transfer credit as elective units. 

Please note that the DD-214 form is optional and not required to complete your application file. 

Please see below for more information on Pepperdine's Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT).

• Students that have completed an ADT can apply for transfer admission to Pepperdine, however, only the following majors will be eligible to be completed within two years: Art History, Communication Studies, Economics, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Spanish.
• Students that complete the ADT are not guaranteed admission to Pepperdine.
• Pepperdine will only accept grades of C or better. This could impact an admitted ADT applicant's class standing with Pepperdine if they have any grades below a C.
• Pepperdine will only accept 4 units of PE. This could impact an admitted ADT applicant's class standing with Pepperdine if they have more than 4 units of PE.

Transfer applicants must apply through the Pepperdine Transfer Application, which asks questions about the applicant's background, education history, and transfer goals. Both the application and the $65 application fee (non-refundable) must be successfully submitted by the deadline.

During the application, applicants are required to submit written responses to the following essay questions:

• Please provide a statement (approximately 250–650 words) discussing your educational path. How does continuing your education at a new institution help you achieve your future goals?
• Pepperdine is a Christian university where all are welcomed and encouraged to challenge each other in the pursuit of truth. Students, faculty, and staff members from all backgrounds participate in conversations of faith inside and outside of the classroom. Considering that Pepperdine is a Christian university, why are you interested in attending and how would you contribute to conversations of faith on campus? (300–500 words)

• Official high school transcripts are required of all prospective transfer students. Please include your full name and birthday on all documents you submit. This will assist in the accurate and timely processing of your application file.
• If you have attended more than one high school, you must submit an official transcript from each school if the grades from the earlier school(s) do not appear on your last high school transcript.
• If you have attended high school(s) outside of the United States, you must submit official copies of each international transcript and any certified external exam results, regardless of whether the grades appear on your final high school transcript. Visit the international admission website for instructions.
• The official, cumulative high school transcript submitted must indicate the date of high school graduation.
• In addition to the official high school transcript indicating any completed course work, applicants who did not graduate from high school must also submit official GED (General Educational Development) or CHSPE (California High School Proficiency Examination) documentation indicating a passing score.

Submit Electronically

Transcripts can be submitted from the school through Parchment, Scoir, or National Student Clearinghouse. Please request that your transcripts be sent to the undergraduate Pepperdine University account at admission-seaver@pepperdine.edu.

Submit by Mail

If the transcripts are mailed, they must be official with an original signature of the school official(s) or the school seal on the transcript and sent directly from the school or submitted in an envelope sealed by the school. Transcripts should be mailed to the following address:

Seaver College Office of Admission
Pepperdine University
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90263-4392

Please note: Faxed or emailed copies of transcripts are NOT accepted.

Include your full name and birthday on all documents you submit. This will assist in the accurate and timely processing of your application file.

College transcripts must cover all work attempted by the application deadline and should be sent directly from each institution attended. For example, students applying for Fall 2025 should submit college transcripts that include final grades for Fall 2024 term coursework. You must submit a transcript from every institution where you have attempted college coursework.

Submit Electronically

Transcripts can be submitted from the school through Parchment, Scoir, or National Student Clearinghouse . Please request that your transcripts be sent to the undergraduate Pepperdine University account at admission-seaver@pepperdine.edu.

Submit by Mail

If the transcripts are mailed, they must be official with an original signature of the school official(s) or the school seal on the transcript and sent directly from the school or submitted in an envelope sealed by the school. Transcripts should be mailed to the following address:

Seaver College Office of Admission
Pepperdine University
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90263-4392

Faxed or emailed copies of transcripts are not considered official and will NOT be accepted. 

Please Note: It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all required materials for the admission application file are received by the Office of Admission by the applicable deadline in order to be considered by the Admission Committee.

Transfer applicants must submit an Academic Letter of Recommendation. The recommendation must come from a college professor or advisor. If you have completed fewer than 30 college units at the time of application, your recommendation can also come from a high school core subject (math, science, English, history, foreign language, religion) teacher or counselor who is familiar with the applicant's academic standing.

Your recommendation letter should be requested through the Pepperdine Transfer Application. On the Recommendations page, you will be able to enter the contact information for your recommender(s), and the application will email them a link to complete the recommendation for you. We highly recommend completing this step early, as the request can be sent before your application is ready to be submitted. You can manage your requests or submit new recommendation requests through the Pepperdine Application Portal once your application has been submitted. 

Although only one academic recommendation is required, the Admission Committee guarantees to read up to two letters, so you may request an optional academic or personal recommendation as well. 

Please Note: It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all required materials for the admission application file are received by the Office of Admission by the applicable deadline in order to be considered by the Admission Committee.

Pepperdine is test optional, and you can indicate on your application whether you would like SAT or ACT scores to be considered with your application. Applicants will receive the same consideration for admission and scholarships regardless of whether they submit test scores. If you would like to submit test scores, you can either send an official score report from the testing agency or enter scores on your application. If you self-report scores, you will be required to submit an official score report after enrolling.

If you choose to submit test scores, transfer applicants must take the SAT I or ACT by September in order to meet the October 1 spring application deadline or by January in order to meet the February 15 fall application deadline.